Like to find the names of active Ferrari Historians. Possibly start this thread off by listing the inaugural members (still living) of the Ferrari Club NA or anywhere else for that matter. No doubt all these individuals have a great knowledge of Ferrari.
Marcel Massini hits two of the three points you posted and hopefully won't be hitting the last one for a very long time. He has contributed a lot to the community and has even wrote books on the subject. To me Marcel would be the A-List Ferrari guy. He's traveled the world to drive and learn about them. He's basically lived what only everyone else can dream about. The level of detail he possess about the subject is stunning. Carbon McCoy is another historian and has a rabid appitite for all things Ferrari, especially VINs. The guy changed his freaking name and has the cavallino tattoed on his chest. He focuses on the modern stuff where Marcel focuses on the vintage. I don't think he has written any books like Marcel but he has written for car magazines. What both of them have in common is their rabid appitite for all things Ferrari and that their appitite is never satisfied.
This is the name that should be at the top of everyone's list and I would add DWR46. There are lots of others but unfortunately many are no longer with us. You only need to look at the list of contributors to Cavallino to find out the names of others. Lots of them contribute to Ferrari-Chat and many of them are unsung heroes. I would be really interested to see which names Marcel Massini would add to the list.
This +100. I've always wanted to know who his favorites are, what his favorite Ferrari books are, and publications. I have been meaning to ask him. Considering he subscribes to just about all of them all over the world... What is his favorite magazine?
There are a lot of guys with a lot of knowledge about Ferrari's. Taking nothing away from them as they are all well respected. But like a multitudes of authors, some can write an interesting tale more so than others. I have read as no doubt everyone else on this forum, hundreds of classic articles over the years, and some of the writers do have that ability to be the Fredrick Forsyth, Sydney Sheldon or Clive Cussler, in their style. Well I guess you know what I mean. Each to there own specialization I guess. The a fore mentioned historians are (in my opinion), more factual, and love them for that. The difference comes in road reports or personal interpretations of likes or dislikes. So ..... feel free to include the other guys also.
In no particular order: Alan Boe, David Seielstad, Hilary Raab, Jess Pourret(dec.), Michael Lynch(dec.).
Particularly liked Boe's report on 0438MD. Showed the cars life, and the involvement with, Phil Hill, von Neumann, James Dean, and of course Porfirio Rubirosa.
I respect all those names and pretty much everyone else who is alive that owned a Vintage Ferrari and has a story to be told at one time. To be a historian, You must know alot about each individual car. A way to find out is to talk to the previous/original owners. They are "kinda" considered a historian of that specific car, No? The info has to come from somewhere?